Something Close to Bliss
by muishie
Summary: When he asked for chocolate latte, she got him coffee. Some assistant he’d hired. Troy & Sharpay.
1. Chapter 1

**_Something Close to Bliss_**: When he asked for chocolate latte, she got him coffee. Some assistant he'd hired. Troy & Sharpay.

This was a little too much, Sharpay thought before smoothing her skirt out in front of her. She would have to give Kelsi a lovely little call later on and shout at her for even thinking she could do something like this.

Looking to her left and right, she felt intimidated by the older, more experienced employees and felt instant regret weigh down on her. Even the building looked like a mountain to climb. Sharpay couldn't believe such an industry could have such a sophisticated look. The company dominated the whole building, bottom to top. It surprised her.

She was twenty, and for goodness sakes, she might have and should have taken her mother's advice to never drop out of school. It was her only prospect to end up on Broadway, or rather, she was never good enough for that, they'd told her.

So now she was crashing on her best friend, Kelsi's couch and trying to find a reason as to why she would help her find a job at such a...very classy yet understatedly repulsive...

"Miss Sharpay Evans?" Snapping out of her thoughts, she groaned once before repeating her earlier movement of pushing the creases out of her skirt and standing up. She wasn't tall; she knew that; she was only around five feet four and her stature wall small.

"Me. I mean present. I mean...here?"

The lady who was carrying a clipboard gave her a once over before ticking her name off the chart suspiciously. "This way please."

Sharpay was taught three important lessons, courtesy on Kelsi, before she came here.

The first was to act experienced, even if she wasn't. Sure, she left school at seventeen, but she could do simple math and make a fine cup of coffee. And her English was good. And even though she didn't have the grade to prove it, she could do science pretty damn well.

The second was to...okay that was a lie. There was only one lesson and that was the only one. Kelsi wasn't much help, Sharpay mentally scolded.

When the door opened, Sharpay was awe struck.

The lobby was something, with its leather sofas, stylish interior design and heavy affluent pieces of art work lining the walls.

But the office was something else all together. Large mahogany desk pushed to the back of the great room, big enough to be converted into a studio flat altogether. And if she squinted, she could see Mr Bolton sitting at his black leather chair behind the table. The secretary closed the door and left.

He looked like he was concentrating hard on something and she timidly stepped forward.

"H-Hi"...louder, she chastised. "Hello. I'm Sharpay Evans, here for the position of secretary."

A handsome, chiselled face of around twenty-five looked up at her. Blue, she instantly thought, as she looked into his eyes. She held her hand out and as he shook it, stood to his full height at around six feet. Sharpay found herself looking up at him in trepidation.

Troy Bolton was handsome. He was more, actually, but handsome was the first thing that came to mind. Then hot, then absolutely graceful...then...the list went on.

"Troy Bolton. I'm the CEO of Bolton Industries." He looked down at her almost empty resume that was sent in. "I see that Kelsi recommended you to me." He smiled for the first time. "So you must be good." Her ego soared. "Although I'm quite worried because it says here you dropped out of school when you were only seventeen." Damn.

"To focus on a career...earlier," she added. He nodded as he took a seat back in his chair and leaned back to look at her. Taking a seat herself, she felt scrutinized by his hard stare and wasn't quite sure where to look.

"Miss Evans...Sharpay, you are fully aware of what this industry is about don't you?"

"Yes. And although I completely and one-hundred percent disagree with what you do, I'm determined to work hard even-"

"Wait," he interrupted. "You...did you just say you disagree with..."

"Yes," she answered firmly. "I mean, fair enough, fast cars and girls...but what you're doing is just exploiting women...who just need money and frankly that's low...I mean real low..." Then she couldn't stop herself.

Sharpay was never one to talk out of turn. And she only spoke when spoken to. But Kelsi never taught her to ever, never speak her mind. And she found herself doing just that...in front of the man who held the key to her future job.

"...It's nothing short of porn though right?..."

"...My brother used to read Bolt Magazine, until he found out he was gay of course, but even then the girls were..."

"...and how can anyone find pleasure in photographing naked girls who wear nothing but..."

"...in all due respect I understand it's your income but developing a business out of women and fetishes is just...(she shivered at this point)"

"...it's not just your company Troy-I mean Mr Bolton. I mean it's the whole world in general and...oh God," she blushed heavily in sudden realisation. "Um...I'm here...for a job right?"

She couldn't read Troy's expression but realised how stupid she must have been. Kelsi was going to kill her, for sure and Sharpay fell deadly silent. She tried to read him, but she couldn't quite...until he smirked and threw her into complete confusion.

"It's not porn," was the first thing he told her, his lips curling into a sinister smile. "I prefer to think of it as Erotica...and if it helps you, then so can you. It's hard in this industry; other companies can easily take over our shares and we're done for. Surely you should know a thing about shares," as he looked back down at her resume and list of lies.

"Does...Does that mean I have the job?"

He frowned. "Not quite. No offense but I don't think you have the right qualifications to take on position as a secretary." He scribbled something down on a memo and stuck it on her resume. "Try Personal Assistant. Yeah?"

No, no... "Yes." Wait, what? "PA? I mean...as in...did you just hire me as your lackey? Your servant, slave, butler..."

He pushed the memo towards her that had something close to a six figure salary written on it. She gulped. "Slave sounds like a good option for me." She looked up at him. "I'll take it."

Desperate, Troy thought, as he chuckled at the young girl in front of him. He had to say, she was definitely pretty. Her long chestnut brown hair matched her eyes and...Troy just hoped he wouldn't seduce and screw her faster than he did the last PA he'd hired. Otherwise, his father would intervene and kick his ass.

"You start tomorrow morning. At six o'clock sharp..." he scribbled down an address and pulled a key out from the draw. "Wake me up with a chocolate latte and don't be late." He hoped both Kelsi and Gabriella (who Kelsi had talked to about the position) was right about this one.

"Six o'clock morning, coffee, right."

He narrowed his eyes. "No. I said chocolate latte."

Details, she mentally drawled, but nodded with a firm smile on her face.

"You can go now."

Sharpay stood. His appeal was running out, she thought giggling to herself. Sure he was hot and handsome and tall and everything a girl could want, but he was an arrogant bastard while he was at it. And the successor to a porn company, she chided.

Kelsi was so happy for her that they celebrated that night with a bottle of tequila full with salt and lime. It was all "I knew you could do it" and "remember to thank Gabriella, you don't know her yet but she helped you too." It was all a drunken mess.

Sharpay woke up at approximately six o'clock on that Wednesday morning and screamed in horror as she caught the time. She had no time to stop off at a cafe and pick up...

Coffee...coffee was the first thing that ran into her mind as she hurriedly took a shower, got dressed and put the kettle on, all in the space of thirty minutes. Figures that Kelsi was still sound asleep amongst Sharpay's abrupt movements. She pulled a Styrofoam cup from the cupboard (handy for the parties that Kelsi constantly put on) and filled it with coffee before covering it with a lid.

She was about to leave when she gave the coffee one disapproving look before taking a black marker from the counter and drawing a smiley face on it. Surely that face was forgiving enough.

Oh, how wrong she was.

She arrived at Troy's place at seven o'clock, one hour late. The coffee was determinedly cold and her efforts to salvage it had gone to waste.

All those thoughts came flying out of her head as she turned the key to his apartment complex and pushed it open quietly.

Troy Bolton made a living out of porn and he lived like Hugh Heftner, sans the playboy bunnies frolicking around, but Sharpay could visualise what the place looked like at night. He owned a typical bachelor's pad; a large, beautiful complex with everything open spaced, only a wall to block off his door-less bedroom, which she assumed has its own en suite.

Skin, topless and...wow, silk boxers. Look up Sharpay, she mentally screamed.

"I'm late, I know and I am so sorry for..."

Troy growled (he did a lot of growling) and snatched the cup of coffee out of her hand.

"You're late," he hissed (he hissed as well). "And this isn't a chocolate latte. It's a cup of cold fuc-"

"Ahhphh! Please don't swear!" Troy walked over to the kitchen sink and crushed the Styrofoam cup before wiping his hand on the towel. "Crap I'm so sorry Mr Bolton. It's my first day and..." Kelsi, she seethed. "If...if you're going to blame someone blame Kelsi," she stuttered. "She got me drunk last night. And I never, ever, ever get drunk. Scouts honour." Was Sharpay even in scouts?

He leaned back on the kitchen counter and frowned. "Coffee...I mean really? I asked for a chocolate latte and you got me a coffee?" Sharpay was glad he didn't mention she was an hour late either.

"I know. As I said, I'm so sorry Mr Bolton. Give me this one more chance and I swear I'll..."

"So what? If I asked for a Playboy Magazine do you give me sex?"

She stopped dead in her tracks, watched him smirk at her reaction before retreating to his room to get dressed.

**A/N**: I feel I owe you all an explanation. I know that a lot of you, if not all of you will have forgotten who I am and I'm **sorry **for that. I was away from FanFiction for a while because I learned to grow up a little and I had to focus on my studies. My most recent (and deleted) story was **Avid Violation**, which some of you may remember. And I deleted it because...it wasn't my best piece of work and I wasn't happy with the direction it was taking. People favorited my story, which I was **eternally grateful** for. And unlike my first story **Physical Attraction**, they stopped reviewing. That annoys me because I enjoy reading feedback and hacing a connection with my readers.

The reason for my absence? There are so many stories on this board and I know that pairings such as "Troyella" dominate "High School Musical". I think people started to write stories** just for the sake of writing it **and there are so many authors who just overflow the board; it doesn't give others a chance to write. It's unfair which is why I stopped loving this fandom so much that I couldn't write it anymore. I mean, there are people who are fans of cetrian pairings that will **bash other stories** who have a pairing(s) they aren't happy with...that's just wrong and is **off-putting** to the author to continue writing.

To be honest, I have _no idea_ what I'm doing back here, and with a new storyline (-_-). But non the less, I hope you'll **read and review** this, **forgive my absence**, and again, review this.

I wanna promise I'm back for the long run...but I'm sure a lot of you have forgotten me as an author. So I take this as a new start.

Thanks for reading :)


	2. Chapter 2

Something Close to Bliss

When he asked for chocolate latte, she got him coffee. Some assistant he'd hired. Troy & Sharpay.

**A/N: **Thank you to **EVERYONE **who has reviewed my first chapter. And for everyone who has remembered me. (People like _Stessa _are the reason I still write on this board). I hope you review this chapter as well, tell me what you liked, what you didn't like etc. Thank you also to anyone that has put me on alert, favourited my story, and added me on their author list. Please, please review because I like interacting with my readers knowing what they thought of the chapter. I hope I don't dissapoint.

Swarovski box. She was looking for a Swarovski box for him. Troy told her it was obvious; just go into the room, look around, and it should have been in the draw on his bedside table. Sharpay scratched her head a little and let out a sigh.

If it was such a big deal for him, he would have come over himself and found it, but here she was, trying to find a jewellery box with a very, very expensive necklace which was meant to be a gift for Troy's girlfriend, Gabriella.

Sharpay hadn't heard much about Gabriella, only she knew that she graced the cover of almost every magazine for teens and like Troy, had arrogance pocketed at the back of her jeans. She couldn't hate her though; Kelsi had talked to Gabriella to mention her to Troy, and only then had Troy given her resume a thought, along with the rest of the future employees.

She flipped open her cell in frustration.

"It's not here. I've even looked in your underwear draw."

"Naughty," she heard him chuckle. "It's there. You're obviously not looking in the right place because I specifically recall..."

"I'll call you back."

What annoyed Troy the most about Sharpay was that she liked to do things her own way. The black coffee she brought him every morning (instead of his repeatedly request for a chocolate latte) was reason enough for him to fire her. But he didn't, and he wasn't sure he would ever be able to. Troy didn't have thoughts about having a one night stand and firing her...yet; but that was beside the point.

Sharpay rummaged around in his en suite wardrobe moving about the large racks of suits that lined the walls.

And then it caught her eye.

It wasn't something big; well it was, but not in size. It was about the size of a birthday card, tucked into the gap between a shelf of shoes and a casual clothing rack. Sharpay walked over and picked it up; mistakenly, it couldn't belong to him. The picture was beautiful. Like the way a scenery draws you in. But then she turned it over, and on it, scrawled in terrible writing, was a date, then "this is for achieving my dream." Evidently, it was Troy's writing and evidently, Sharpay was confused.

She looked into the gap and pulled out a huge portfolio, around an A2 size, and found herself automatically unzipping it.

And then she just stared. For around five minutes moving around the photographs that Troy had in his folder, Sharpay looked amazed at his talent. He liked to photograph...stuff; meaningless stuff that looked beautiful under colours and black and white.

She picked up her cell again.

"Have you found it yet? Look Sharpay I'm running low on patience and Gabby is going to be here at any given moment."

She laughed. "You're a closet photographer!"

There was silence on the other end of the line until she heard his rugged but clear voice again. "Sharpay, get out of my wardrobe before I swear to God I fire you to-"

"And it's not even naked women! You actually...wow Troy...it's amazing."

"Did you just call me Troy without the Mr and the Bolton? Sharpay-"

"Okay...okay. I have an idea. Why don't you give Miss Montez one of these portraits instead? Heck, I'd appreciate it."

"No." Oh. She could sense that he was rubbing his temples or something. "Gabby doesn't appreciate that stuff...it's..."

"Hey can I keep one?"

He barked over the phone and Sharpay knew she had crossed the line. Still, she couldn't help stifle a giggle and coughed trying to cover it. "Sharpay, if you still want your job tomorrow then you'll take my advice and leave them. Focus on a blue box okay?"

He was truly pissed to say the least. Sharpay turned up in his office, sans the Swarovski box and avec one of Troy's photographs, printed on a large A3 sized canvas.

"I thought she would really like one of these though. I mean...it's really cool in that indie sort of way."

"You don't know Gabriella, Sharpay. I need you to find that box. Go back."

She scrunched up her nose. "No way."

Oh God. Fire her, he thought; just do it, for God's sake he wouldn't feel bad about it. He looked at her and he wanted to smile. Sharpay was holding up his art piece, really looking at it, As if he understood the meaning behind the black and white photo. In a way, it made him angry too. How dare she walk into his life (well, he let her) and find residence in his secret place.

Before Troy could even decide to kill Sharpay, his intercom crackled and a muffled voice came through "Gabby's here."

"Shi-" He stopped himself before Sharpay scolded him.

"Troy..." Sharpay almost dropped the canvas turning around and when she did, her mouth hung open.

Gabriella Montez stood in give inch heels, still not as tall as Troy himself when he stood beside her, in beauty and wonder and...

"Hello. I'm Sharpay Evans, Mr Bolton's new assistant."

She smiled patronizingly at the shorter brunette and Sharpay realised she was completely different than how she imagined; Gabriella knew how to work magazine covers very well, she thought, because she had the personality of a bitch.

"I'm Gabriella Montez, but you know that. Yes, I know you, Kelsi's friend. You're welcome, by the way. I'm sure, if I didn't hand Troy your resume, he wouldn't have looked twice at you."

Ouch. Sharpay smiled anyways, or tried to and muttered "thank you" in the best voice she could.

"Hey Gabs, I had this great present for you," Troy said, breaking the silence. "Except, I sort of lost it but it's definitely somewhere in my apartment."

Gabriella smiled. "Oh, no worries."

"Thank God because I thought-"

"You can just buy me another one."

"Oh."

Sharpay's mouth was pretty much still hanging open, her hands clenched on Troy's canvas. She cleared her through all of a sudden and stepped forward.

"Actually, Troy's a little shy about it but..."

"Mr Bolton," he hissed at her. She rolled her eyes at him.

"But he wanted to give this to you as a gift." She carefully handed over the large portrait to Gabriella who looked at it in distaste.

"What is it?"

Sharpay looked down. "It's a landscape."

Gabriella thrust the photograph back at Sharpay and turned scornfully towards her boyfriend. She was expecting a diamond necklace, if not from Swarovski then at least from Tiffany's.

"Troy, I actually need to go. So maybe I'll see you...when I have time to drop by again." She kissed him coldly on the cheek and left.

Silence, then. For at least ten minutes before Troy picked up his jacket from the cloak hanger and left.

It's an hour before Sharpay found him drowning several shots in a high class bar. Sharpay stuck out against the dark, dim but beautiful decoration and she took a seat besides Troy, her attention focused completely on him.

"I had your secretary call your best friend to tell me all your favourite places."

He groaned at her, downed another shot, and attempted to turn away before she grabbed a hold of his arm.

"I should thank Chad then, should I?" He grumbled.

Sharpay smiled at him; a soft, gentle smile that Troy caught sight of, even if he didn't want to.

"You know," she says, "I think your photography is really beautiful. And you don't have to do something like become CEO of a company if you don't want to."

Troy looked at her despairingly. "You obviously don't know my father very well. First basketball, then this business crap. This company is mine and even if I wanted to do something..." He trailed off, calling for the bartender for another drink.

Sharpay closed her eyes for a moment. "I'll drink with you tonight."

Another hour later and Troy is staring at an inebriated Sharpay telling him how much his company sucked. Well, he couldn't disagree but watching her there, with her eyes all dilated and her cheeks flustered was something else.

"You should give basketball another go. I'd like to see you play."

He laughed. "Yeah? Well it's a date then."

"And I want to see your inspiration."

"Inspiration for what?"

"Your art; your photos." She was dead serious now, even though she was still drunk, and Troy's thoughts flew completely out of his head.

"Yeah. Sure. If Gabby doesn't appreciate it at least you can." He smiled, a wicked glint in his eye. "But only if you do something for me in return."

"Sure." She turned towards him and her eyes were focused on his lips. "Anything."

"What if I wanted to photograph you?"

She licked her bottom lip and placed the edge of her glass against it, tipping her head slightly back and taking another sip of her sangria.

"Anything."

It all happened so fast when Troy dragged her only so slowly out of the door and towards his car. The sky was dark now, almost pitch black, and he pushed her in the backseat not knowing what to do with her. He was never, ever this nervous with a girl. But Sharpay wasn't any girl, Troy discovered.

Before he knew it, Sharpay had turned them both over, the left side of his pelvis dug into the seatbelt buckle but he didn't move; not as Sharpay seemed to straddle him gently.

And when she pressed her lips softly upon his, he didn't stop her. Only for a moment and then he smiled, murmuring something against her mouth. She pulled away, questioning him.

"Naked. Only if you let me photograph you naked."

Sharpay laughed. She was definitely blushing now, and even in the dark, Troy could clearly see the red stain her cheeks in such an adorable way that he knew it weren't due to the effect of alcohol. She was flustered knowing he was looking at her in such a way that it made butterflies swim around in her stomach she never thought could.

"Anything," she whispered before leaning down again. Sharpay rested her head on his shoulder and they stayed there, entangled on the back seat of Troy's car. They were doing nothing. But to Troy, that was everything.

He wanted these moments in his life when he could cherish peace in a way his father had never let him. Having Sharpay uncomfortably digging her arms into his sides was peaceful in a way he never knew existed.

And Sharpay was evidence of why he shouldn't care; evidence that he shouldn't have to give a damn if his assistant didn't think he should. Because he had his own life. Troy took in a deep breath staring down at the creature around him. He flicked a few strands of her hair away before exhaling.

He would go in tomorrow at work and turn in a letter of resignation to his father.

And he would have Chad take his position.

And then he would try and gather up enough money, after his father would cut off access to his accounts, and open up a photography company. It would be small; but it would be him.

If he could, he'd convince Sharpay to come with him and he'd show her what inspiration really was.

Troy smiled, lifted a sleeping Sharpay off his chest, buckled her into the left side and climbed into the front seat of his car.


End file.
